Thursday, February 5, 2015

Thursday Movie Picks: Romantic Comedies

Written for the blogathon hosted by the lovely Wander at Wandering Through the Shelves. Just pick three movies around the week's theme and post them to your blog to play along!

This week's theme is Romantic Comedies. I'll be honest, I generally like romances more than I like romantic comedies. Sure, there are quite a few that I genuinely enjoy, but rom-coms have gotten a bad rap over the past couple of decades or so, and it's easy to see why. They always seem to play to the lowest common denominator and quite often play to "traditional" gender roles, coming off as misogynist and old-fashioned despite whatever modern concessions they may make. You'll hear a lot of people refer to the entire genre as Chick Flicks or Crappy Rom-Coms, but there is a difference between "Crappy Rom-Coms" and ACTUALLY CRAPPY rom-coms.. Despite their generally crappy nature, there are some of the latter type that are actually quite enjoyable in spite of themselves. Everyone has one or two completely awful films that they love in spite of themselves, right? So, herewith, my picks for:

Actually Crappy Romantic Comedies That I Love Anyway

"This is not the girl scouts, this is espionage!"

D.E.B.S. (2004, Angela Robinson) The conditions under which you see a film can count for a lot in your overall impressions of it, and such was the case for me with D.E.B.S. My best friend in college (who happened to be a lesbian) dragged me to see it, and the only knowledge I had of it was one ad in a magazine that featured four girls with guns dressed in slightly slutty schoolgirl uniforms, one of whom was Devon Aoki. So I had no idea that I was in for a campy lesbian rom-com/spy spoof with delightful cameos by Holland Taylor and Michael Clarke Duncan. And look, there's no denying that Angela Robinson's feature-length version of her short film pretty much fails as a film. But as a piece of entertainment, it more than delivers. It announces itself as a great spoof practically from the first frame, with a voiceover about a test hidden inside the SAT that determines what high school-age girls would make great spies (WTF?!?), who then get admitted to a top-secret spy university. There are tons of jokes, both eye-rollingly bad and gut-bustingly good, and the entire cast sells every one of them like their rent was past due. I love this movie just as much as Jordana Brewster's supervillain Lucy Diamond hates Australians (why, you ask? "I don't like their attitude," she deadpans PERFECTLY). Just promise me that if you watch it, you go in with expectations so low you could walk over them.

"This is nutty... hazelnutty!"

Simply Irresistible (1999, Mark Tarlov) Looking at any still or description of this movie is enough to let you know that it is truly, deeply crappy. For one thing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself has auburn hair and looks like she has forgotten what normal people look like doing just about anything. For another, the story revolves around her being an awful cook until she unwittingly brings home... WAIT FOR IT... a magic crab. Let me repeat that: A magic fucking crab turns Sarah Michelle Gellar into the amazing chef she always wanted to be since her legendary chef mother died. I could not give two shits about any of that, though, because this fucker right here is so goofily endearing in the weirdest of ways (thank GOD for Patricia Clarkson, who can make just about everything watchable). I am at a complete and utter loss as to why I love this terrible, awful, no-good, very bad film, but I do.

"...actually, there is no worse fate than being gay and Italian!"

Mambo Italiano (2003, Émile Gaudreault) Consider this a stand-in for the many, many crappy gay rom-coms that I have watched and loved for literally no other reason than they feature two attractive men as their central couple. This one is kind of a like a gay Italian version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding that takes place in Canada, except much, much worse than that description sounds. I don't care. It's even adorable even when it's over-the-top tacky and loud and gratingly awful (as these kind of films usually are), and it's always nice to see Paul Sorvino as a tough but eventually proud Italian papa!

BONUS PICK: The Best Romantic Comedy of the Last Ten Years

Populaire (2012, Régis Roinsard) I remember hearing about Populaire when it came out, that it was a massive crowd-pleasing success in France, so much so that it even had the chance to break out in America. Unfortunately, it came and went here with nary a peep, as so many foreign films do nowadays (remember when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon made over $100 million? Those were the days...), which is completely unfair, because this is a freaking magical film. Taking place in 1950s Normandy, it centers on the relationship between country gal Rose Pamphyle (the adorable Déborah Francois) and her new big-city boss, Louis Echard (the swoon-worthy Romain Duris). Rose may be a terrible secretary, but she is a speed demon of a typist, and Louis decides to enter her in (and later train her for) a speed-typing competition (a fad which is apparently sweeping the nation - and the world). Impeccably designed, gorgeously scored, cleverly scripted and shot, and acted with great care, Populaire is a delight on every level. It would make for a perfect Valentine's Day movie with your loved one, paired with some champagne and bonbons. You can find it on Netflix Instant - add it to your queue now!

Simply Irresistible is so bad that I almost can't see how it got greenlit. I think that there are only about two or three shots of the crab in the entire movie, but he's the impetus for the entire plot. It's patently ridiculous, completely and utterly awful, and I fucking love every second of it for absolutely no good reason.

Simply Irresistible feels like a lifetime ago. I'm pretty sure I only saw it because Buffy's in it and all I remember is that there was something about food and magic but totally forgot about the whole crab thing....really a crab?

Yes. a crab. At the end of the movie, he shows up wearing a tuxedo and top hat - you can see a screencap of it on the first page of this HILARIOUS review that I cannot even attempt to top: http://uproxx.com/filmdrunk/2014/06/a-magical-crab-teaches-sarah-michelle-gellar-to-love-in-simply-irresistible-rum-and-rom-coms/

Okay you sold me, sometimes mindlessly foolish is just the ticket. I have seen Mambo Italiano and it is all those things you say and so representative of films like Kiss Me, Guido and Oh Vey! My Son Is Gay!! but every movie can't be Beautiful Thing.

I've resisted that SMG movie because I have limited patience with her but it sounds so absurd I'll have to give it a look. I'm wholly unfamiliar with D.E.B.S. but I'll give it a shot. Populaire also sounds worth seeking out.

Knowing you're a classic movie fan and like Katharine Hepburn based on last week's films I'll recommend one of mine from this week to you. Holiday with Kate and Cary Grant. They're great together and it comes from the time when the studios were turning out romantic comedies with actual subtext in this case the quest for what life actually means vs. the things that money can provide . It's my favorite Hepburn film. My others Barefoot in the Park, The Wedding Singer and my bonus Last Holiday are more innocuous but I love them just the same.

So many of those movies like Mambo Italiano, Kiss Me Guido, East Side Story, etc. are completely interchangeable. I basically closed my eyes and pointed to choose this one. Beautiful Thing is still tops, though. Love it so much.

You MUST see Populaire. It has a really great old-fashioned feel to it. So winning. Simply Irresistible is so absurd and so awful that I can really only recommend watching it with a (large) bottle of your favorite alcohol.

I like Holiday fine, but to me it doesn't hold a candle to The Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby. I need to see Barefoot in the Park.

I love Philadelphia Story, and Bringing Up Baby too, it's just something about Holiday that moves me more. Not sure if it's Lew Ayres beautiful work as her brother Ned or the air of melancholy that hangs over it but I watch it more often than the other two.

Speaking of Philadelphia Story. Cary and Kate make a terrific pair in it but I've always thought it was too bad that Kate's original choice for C. K. Dexter Haven, Clark Gable, passed on doing the role. Since he and Cary share some similarities of manner, wry, knowing and relaxed, it gives some idea of what he would have been like in the part but they would have made a fascinating pairing. However she wanted both he and Tracy together, Tracy said no because Mike Connor is a supporting role-no matter what the academy says in awarding the lead actor to Stewart for it, which in hindsight would have thrown the balance of the picture off considering how Tracy & Hepburn interacted on screen. Still it would have been a great match-up of two Hollywood icons in quality material.

I will admit, the original casting of Philadelphia Story has always intrigued me, especially after I saw It Happened One Night. Gable would have been great in it. And yeah, I love Jimmy Stewart, but I don't know what he was doing winning a Lead Oscar for that one (yes, I know it was a make-up Oscar; no, I do not care).

I'm right there with you on the ridiculousness of Stewart winning for this role. If they were so anxious to award him a makeup Oscar they at least could have given it to him for the right performance in The Shop Around the Corner. That's an Oscar worthy piece of work. At best Mike Connor would rate a supporting nod, not win, but Stewart was a star by then and top line talent weren't placed in support once they'd moved above the title. My choice for the award would be Henry Fonda in Grapes of Wrath.

This year was a screwy one anyway. I wouldn't have chosen a single one of the winners in any of the acting categories. Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle?? Really? My choice would have been either Vivien Leigh in Waterloo Bridge or Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday-both unnominated. Out of the actual nominees I'd pick Bette Davis in The Letter with Ginger coming in 4th.

Aw, I like Ginger in Kitty Foyle! Although admittedly, I haven't seen it in years. Of course, Roz Russell should have won for His Girl Friday - hard to believe she wasn't nominated, but then Howard Hawks's films didn't ever have a great reception with the Academy, did they? I have recently heard very good things about Leigh in Waterloo Bridge too, so that's going on the list of things to watch. Couldn't agree with you more on Stewart and the Best Actor situation. Fonda should have won hands down.

Hi Dan, Just thought I'd drop back in to say I watched Simply Irresistible and it was....well you warned us!! When her guardian fishmonger or whatever Gene O'Reilly implored her "to take my CRABS!" I knew what I was in for. Gellar doesn't have what it takes to carry a film, even one as bad as this, and her character annoyed me no end! All she did was cry and run away. Still it was relatively painless.

To refer back to my previous comment, definitely check out Waterloo Bridge. It was the favorite of both Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor of their individual films. He stated that he was inspired by her talent and while he doesn't come close to her skill level or match her beautiful heartbreaking performance he is better than usual.

Like I said, I have no freaking clue why I love Simply Irresistible - nothing in it makes any sense, the acting is terrible, the score is groan-worthy - but against all logic, I do. SMG will always have a place in my heart because of Buffy, but apparently she only has any charisma when she's playing an ass-kicker.

The French seem to be very adept at creating dynamic relationships in film as Populaire shows. There are some nice romantic French films that don't make me want to bang my head against a wall, at the very least.

Thanks for commenting! Yes, the French are very good at this stuff. I could have gone all French... Amelie, L'auberge Espagnole, Jeux d'enfants (Love Me If You Dare), Priceless... but I thought this would be more fun.

I'm pretty sure I saw Simply Irresistible in the theater, but I'm not sure. It sounds so familiar. Cool picks! You really went deep, man. I haven't seen any of these others, but they all sound great, especially this Populaire. If you say it's the best in 10 years, I have to check it out.

Thanks! Parts of Simply Irresistible are lots of fun, but mostly in a WTF?!?!? kind of way. Actually, it probably could have been an okay movie if they had really embraced the absurdity of the script, but instead they decided to play it almost completely straight. BAD decision.

I've never seen D.E.B.S, but I used to want to watch it so bad. I was obsessed with Devin Aoki as a teen. I love Lily Cole so much, and the fact that she was the Asian version of her made me nuts, ahha. The film sounds super campy, so I'll have to give it a watch.

I love D.E.B.S. (obviously), and it is indeed quite campy. It's often like they knew they didn't have the budget to make a proper spy film and just decided to embrace it. Devon Aoki is HILARIOUS and hot as hell in it.

About Me

Performer since birth, tap dancer since the age of 10. Life-long book-lover. Film obsessive. Frustrated artist since college graduation. Non-profit database specialist by day, tap teacher by night, Netflix binge-watcher by weekend.